Shackles of Insanity
by Morbid Mortality
Summary: Everyone thought she was insane, and she was. With news of the neighborhood traitor coming back to town, the mission is put into motion, and our crazy little cherry blossom has no intention what so ever of staying behind. She could take on the world.
1. Sterilized

**I don't have much to say besides I think that I'm gonna have a lot of fun writing this, and reviews would be a definite plus!**

**Here's the first chapter of Shackles of insanity.**

--

"Sasuke-kun, how much longer is this gonna take? Can't we just leave these worthless fools and, you know…go somewhere together and-"

"Shut up…"

Deadly ruby eyes narrowed as the red-haired kunoichi continued to complain.

"Karin…"

Said kunoichi immediately realized her mistake and quickly rambled an apology.

"I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything, it's just that I know how important this is to you and that you don't want any…distractions, while you're on this mission. I just feel like we don't get to spend time with each other anymore, and I'm sorry if I sound needy but-"

Karin was ultimately silenced as a shinobi sandal made contact with her head and landed on the ground with a resounding thunk.

The cold avenger averted his eyes from the flabbergasted ones of his female companion to the shinobi sandal that lay abandoned on the dirt floor.

"I said **shut up**."

"Mother fuck-"

"**Enough.**"

The command alone was enough to paralyze the clearings occupants. It was enough of a danger to be associated with Sasuke Uchiha, let alone cross into the untold horrors of his bad side.

"do not let your fatigue become a hindrance to me on this mission, sleep, tomorrow…will bring me closer to my goal, my purpose, ready yourselves, our pace will double. I **will** have my revenge."

The raven haired leader turned to his teammates with a penetrating gaze, but they didn't bother to meet it, they all knew what would be there.

--

Her eyes shifted from the white ceiling to the bed screen where she could make out the silhouette of a hand next to her bed side. She didn't have to ask, she knew that chakra anywhere.

"Lilies…"

"very good Sakura, perhaps the road of recovery has not disappeared completely yet."

The silhouette otherwise know as Kakashi mover away from the bed side slowly and replaced himself in a chair worn from numerous visits, all ending up with the same result.

"….All of you should have given up hope long ago, I honestly don't see why everyone still tries…"

"don't you want to recover Sakura, don't you get tired of laying here day after day?

"There is no road of recovery for the mentally insane Kakashi."

The overly sterilized room was plunged into silence as both shinobis were overcome by memories of the past, one longing for the good times to return somehow, and the other wishing that they could simply vanish from all the memories.

"what are you thinking about?"

"…Perhaps I really was wrong."

There was no need to reply, she knew that he was already gone, and that she would not be able to give him one.

Sun-deprived hands shook as they fisted the white sheets that pooled around her waist.

"We were all wrong…"

--

Kakashi shoved his hands into the pants pockets of his usual jounin attire, not even bothering to pull out the orange book that usually gave him peace. Lately Sakura was showing signs of improvement, but it was like she herself was fighting off the cure.

'_I don't know what to do anymore Sakura…'_

"Kakashi-sensei!!"

Kakashi looked up at the loud shinobi who had interrupted his train of thought.

"Oh, Naruto…what a coincidence, I was just leaving, was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Eh? No, I'm just here to visit Sakura-chan! Hey, you wanna come with me! I'm sure she'll be surprised th-"

"Naruto, I've already been to see her. You know the rule, one visitor a day. You're no exception to that rule."

"B-but, common Sensei, I thought you were on my side!!." Naruto crossed his arms over his orange and black clad chest as he let out a very audible sigh.

"Now that isn't very fair, I am on your side, but I'm also on hers, she's not the same Naruto, she can't handle more than one visit, she can barley sit up for longer than twenty minutes," He stopped short on his lecture as he saw his students face fall, besides, I can barley stand you for thirty minuets ."

"Ah what's that supposed th mean!? I don't understand why's she's so tired all the time, all she does is sleep!! I mean I know that she goes out at night but what does she do down there!?"

"Naruto that's none of our business, she'll tell us when she's ready…if I buy you some ramen will that shut you up?"

"That's cheating sensei…but hey lets go!"

The hand of a lonely student reached out and grabbed the wrist of a haunted teacher and pulled, breaking out into a run, neither said anything as they continued to run from the one person whom they wished was running beside them, but neither student or teacher said anything about it because in the end both had gotten what they came for, companionship.

--

Her heavy eye lids didn't bother to open as she heard the hospital door open with a soft click.

"Shizune-chan soup again…" Sakura did nothing to hide her disappointment as she whined at her apparent lunch

The dark haired healer gave an apologetic smile as she began to walk over with the tray that held the steaming liquid.

"My apologies Sakura-chan" The two had become close over the years.

"Oh and Shizune-chan," the sickly ninja's voice took on a harsh tone as she called out to the other.

Shizune faced Sakura with a worried look in her eye.

"…Yeah Sakura-chan"

"Could you please get rid of those **disgusting**…_things."_

"…Sure Sakura-chan"

No more words were exchanged as the dark haired healer left the room the same way she had come in, this time with the flowers that oozed innocence and yet something dark beneath the angelic petals.

The curtain separating the starving girl from her meal was pulled back quickly creating a loud ringing sound as the rings scraped the metal that kept it suspended. Sakura stilled as looked around the room wearily, deeming the room safe she turned her attention to the steaming soup.

Jade eyes widened as pupils dilated. Sakura flung herself backwards, slamming against the wall behind her. She cowered in the corner until she felt something sliding against the side of her face. She rose her vibrating hand to the side of her face and let it drop, dragging it over the liquid and across her face. She slowly brought her hand to her face to inspect the unknown liquid. A hysterical scream broke the silence of the hospital.

The next thirty minutes consisted of more hysterical screams, the banging of doors, demands of restraints, shouts of desperation for the Hokage, and the frenzied beeps of a forgotten heart monitor.

--

**Well?**

**Don't worry first chapters always suck.**

**For now, I'm not quite sure on a certain pairing, but I'm leaning towards a Sasuke Sakura somehow.**

**I accept everything, flames, you name it. **

**Thanks for reading, don't forget to review!**

**3**


	2. The soup

**All right here's chapter two of Shackles.**

**I hope you like it, this one tool me forever.**

--

"She was like that when we found her Tsunade-sama."

"Yeah well why the hell did it take so long to subdue her?"

"She does have your strength…"

"That's no excuse, the seals must be weakening…or someone just fucked up."

"Tsunade-sama!-"

"…I have the bandages that you asked for Tsunade-sama."

The Hokage and her assistant turned to the meek voice that interrupted their heated conversation.

"Ah yes, come Shizune tell me what happened this time."

"Ummm…Tsunade-sama is there anything else that you need…?" The meek voice spoke again.

Tsunade looked down at the young girl, she was probably 16 or so, in slight annoyance, before snapping her fingers at the realization.

"As a matter of fact yes, I need you to warn everybody to stay clear of this wing, Sakura will be waking up soon and well, last time the nurse in the hall wasn't so lucky…"

Tsunade trailed off as she saw realization and then fear cross over the young medics face, it was utterly priceless!

The sudden bark of laughter that escaped the blonde Hokage's mouth surprised both Shizune and Yumi, In response Yumi jumped and pulled her hands to her chest.

"Now's not the time to be shy Yumi! You don't want a casualty on your hands do you?"

The medics could only watch as their honorable Hokage escorted herself to Sakura's room, laughing the whole way there.

"Umm…Yumi-san, I'll be needing those bandages so…"

Yumi looked down to her hands and saw her squeezing the roll of bandages to her chest .

Turning red with embarrassment Yumi thrust out the bandages and squeaked an apology. The other medic shook her head at the sudden déjà vu and watched as a flustered Yumi ran from the scene. Shizune turned on her heel to gaze at her mentor as she leaned against the closed door that led to Sakura's room.

"Tch. Noobies." Tsunade snorted as she pushed herself off the door, opened it, and walked in.

Shizune merely sighed and smiled fondly as she gazed at the bandages and then down the now empty hall.

"Oi, Shizune! What the hell are you waiting for!?"

It wasn't a question.

"Sorry, I was just making sure that Yumi did her job."

"Right, now without anymore interruptions, tell me what the hell happened here."

Tsunade lowered her honey colored eyes to the scratches that were lined with blood and little chips of nails that covered the wall.

Shizune bit her lip and fidgeted at the unpleasant memories that occurred only two hours ago. The screams of pure agony and torture filled her mind as she stood in that room. She tossed the bandages on the bed beside a sleeping Sakura and rushed from the room.

"Well?"

She stopped short on her escape at Tsunade's question.

…

…

…

"It was the soup."

The sound of feet hitting the floor echoed down the haunted and lonely hall.

Tsunade stared at the bandages before she picked them up and unraveled them. She pulled the worn chair up to the side of the bed before sitting down and beginning her task of bandaging Sakura's mangled finger tips and damaged hands.

When she was finished she let her eyes wander to her sleeping pupils face. Savoring the look of peace that was only there while she was asleep. She sighed and dropped her eyes down.

'_Wait, what the hell is that?'_

She reached down slowly to pull out the white object that peeked out from underneath Sakura's pillow. She held the tattered object in her hands delicately as her thumb caressed the wrinkled silky petal softly.

'_A lily…' _

_--_

Kakashi sighed as he opened the door to his apartment, it seems that Naruto just couldn't get enough of him today. Yes, he knew who's presence was beyond the slightly aged door that led to his nearly empty abode.

He paused to release another sigh as he closed the door behind him.

Kakashi shuffled over to his table built for one as he set down his groceries. When he finished his task he finally turned his attention to the orange clad shinobi. He paused as he took in his students appearance.

Naruto sat on his couch hunched over with his hands clenching his legs, just above the knee, in either support or extreme anger, Kakashi couldn't tell.

The silver haired teacher strode over to his occupied sofa and leaned against the back of it. He crossed his arms and slightly tensed as he felt his previous short lived mood turn into a stony one.

The sound of shuffling clothing took him away from his thoughts as he looked over his shoulder to see that his company had changed positions.

He now sat up almost impossibly straight, his back rigid, and still clutched his legs for life.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Sh-…", he paused as his voice began to choke, "She had another attack".

Kakashi sighed and let his arms drop to his side, it was as if god wanted him to suffer.

Naruto took his ex-teacher's silence offensively.

"What, so now you don't even care!? We **knew **that it wasn't going to be easy, but that's no excuse to giv-"

"Give up!?" Naruto stared at the floor as Kakashi rampaged.

"Is that what you were going to say? Naruto, in no way, shape, or form have I given up, and yes I know it isn't going to be easy, has it been so far?", Kakashi put a slightly aged hand on the future Hokage in a form of comfort, "and of course I care, it was partly my fault too."

"They wouldn't tell me much, all they told me was that once she had been served her meal, she started screaming, Kakashi-sensei, you should've seen his face, he said it was like a nightmare."

Kakashi felt his brow furrow and blood run cold, "How so…?"

"He said it all happened so fast, one moment nearly ten people were on her, trying to hold her down, and the next second all of them were flying through the air. He said then she started to act like a caged animal and began sobbing and scratching at the wall as if she could get through it…they said she completely mauled her hands…"

Naruto stopped his story and bent over to catch his breathe from the emotional strain. He just didn't know if she would ever get better.

"…"

"…"

"Well what was the meal…?'

"…"

"…"

"…..Soup"

"Soup?"

--

"Yes Tsunade-sama, the soup."

Tsunade didn't need to look over her shoulder, the meek voice was back.

"Ah, Yumi, what a bold action, coming back to this room, you're the last person I thought would be here, checking up on our favorite kunoichi."

"…Ummm yes, favorite…"

She saw Tsunade's blonde hair catch the light as the Sanin turned around suddenly.

"Oh Yumi…did you happen to forget that young Sakura here is my apprentice? No, surely you wouldn't think of insulting the both of us if you were in fact educated in anyway what-so-ever."

The small med-nin paled at her grave mistake. Yumi felt her swallow get caught in her throat as she felt Tsunade's rage come off in waves.

'_Say something…say something!!….Anything….FUCKING SPEAK!!' _Yumi's bellowing conscience finally gave her the courage to speak.

"Hokage-sama, I'm te-terribly sorry….it wa-wasn't my p-pp-place to-"

"Oi, Newbie, shut the hell up and leave."

Yumi's body jerked slightly in fear towards the door as Sakura's biting tone ordered her to leave.

"Yes, that would in fact be the exit, now use it and grace us with peace, you stuttering fool."

Not another word was spoken until the footsteps of a petrified medic-nin echoed off into the distance.

"…"

"…"

Sakura released a cough.

"…?"

Tsunade rose an expecting eyebrow.

The pink haired patient released an exasperated sigh at her mentors ability to somehow read her mind.

"I'm hungry."

Tsunade inwardly smirked.

"Oh yeah, and why is that?"

Sakura snorted at her surrogate mother's obvious plan, but also decided to play along and make thing difficult.

"I have not been fed yet."

Tsunade felt her blood begin to boil beneath her skin.

"Oh contraire my precious pupil, I believe you have, now how about you tell me about your meal."

"Mmmhhh…no."

"Excuse me!!"

"It appears that I don't exactly remember anything about my meal, I was hoping you could tell me why I'm lying her starving to death, and with no meal present." Sakura crossed her arms over her frail form and sent a hard glare at Tsunade.

Tsunade furrowed her eyebrows and felt her upper lip slide up in severe agitation at her pupils stubbornness.

"Ya know what! You **can **starve to death for all I care, and while you're at it, bandage you own goddamn arms."

Nothing more was said as the frustrated Hokage threw the bandages on the bed and stomped out of her Sakura's room.

The now alone pink-haired shinobi gazed at the bandages passively before reaching out to retrieve them.

…

…

…

"I'm sorry…"

Blood began to crawl down the bandages at Sakura squeezed them with all her might, trying to squeeze the life out of them.

And all the while pretending it was her own.

--

**Wow, I really didn't mean to make this chapter this long. I also sincerely apologize for the agonizingly slow update, part of that is because I just didn't know where to end this one.**

**Remember, your reviews are what keep me going.**

**So be a pal, and pleassssse review.**


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